Continuous ribbon printing machine



Jan. 1, 1935. E. 1.. MUELLER 1,936,643

CONTINUOUS RIBBON PRINTING MACHINE Filed NOV. 15, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l "m EVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1935. 1.. MUELLER 1,936,643

CONTINUOUS RIBBON PRINTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1932 4 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 1, 1935. E. 1.. MUELLER 1,986,643

CONTINUOUS RIBBON PRINTING MACHINE INVENOR Emd L. Mu die/ Ja n. 1, 1935. E. L. MUELLER 1,986,643

CONTINUOUS NIBBON PRINTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1932 S'Sheets-Sheet 4 mrzm ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1935. I MUELLER 1,986,643

' CONTINUOUS RIBBON PRINTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1932 5 Shee ts-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Emil 1/. Mueller AATTORNEY Patented Jan. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Emil L. Mueller,

Rutherford, N. 1.

Application November 15, 1932, Serial No. 642,695

20 Claims.

This invention relates to a continuous ribbon printing machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a printing machine of this type capable of printing clear,

clean and distinct impressions at high speed on the ribbon as the ribbon is moved through the machine.

A further object is to provide practical, efficient and reliable means rendering the machine adjustable so that the printing material on its impression roller may be for any desired extent of the circumference of the printing surface of ribbon locked stationary in the periods between the moving periods.

A further object is to so construct the machine that only a minimum of strain will be encountered in opposition to the initial movements of the ribbon following each stationary period of the ribbon.

A more detailed object is to so construct the machine as to include a ribbon feeding mechanism and a ribbon take-up mechanism, and to so co-relate these elements that the periods of feed of the ribbon will occur intermediate the periods of take-up.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means by which the various parts of the machine are co-related and rendered operative in the performance of their various functions and to provide means by which the operation of the machine is always under the instant control of an attendant operator.

A further object is to so construct the machine that it may if desired include elements for printing upon the passing ribbon at different points, or

for the printing of different colors upon the ribbon, also for printing upon both surfaces of the ribbon.

A more particular object is to provide a machine of the type indicated having elements thereof readily alterable in amanner such that the same machine may be used in the printing of a ribbon having any desired length for the individual impressions printed upon the ribbon, and without undesirable blank spaces between any of the impressions.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly :liagrammatic, of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure seen in Fig. Lbeing partly in horizontal section upon the plane of line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevational view of a part of the ribbon take-up and locking mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view substantiallyupon the plane of line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the manual operable mechanism employed for the control of the machine, said view being taken from the view point of line VV of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the structure appearing in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detafl view of the adjustable cam appearing in the structure Figs. 5 and 6, said View being substantially upon the plane of line VII-VII of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the intermittent gear and cam arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and s Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the elements of the machine as shown in Fig. 1 but including a duplication of parts thereof for printing at spaced points upon ,the passing ribbon or for multi-color printing on said ribbon.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the exemplary structure as illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates a main frame within which is mounted a printing roll 1. The pivotal axis of. this roll is normally immovable, except that it is mounted in an eccentric as 2 which can be thrown by hand in the usual manner to displace the roll whenever required.

A plate roll is indicated at 3.

Ink supplied onto the plate roll, as from a series of inking rollers 4-4, will be transferred to the printing roll 1 and from said roll 1 onto t e under-surface of the paper strip 5 which is mounted to travel in the direction as indicated by the arrow.

Above the paper strip is a second printing roll 6 and a plate roll 7, with inking rollers 8-8, in duplication of rolls 1 and 3, and the roll 6 has an eccentric mounting as at 9 so that it too may be thrown out of printing position whenever required in the same manner as suggested for roll 1.

The roll 6 prints upon the top surface of the passing paper strip 5.

The upper set of rolls 6 and I is carried by an upper frame part G which is formed separate from the main frame L and is pivotally mounted, as at 11, upon the main frame, the upper frame being adapted for movement about the pivot 11 to lift the printing roll 6 away from the printing roll 1 and thus to destroy the printing contact of both of the rollers 1 and 6 with the intermediate paper strip.

The pivotal movement of the upper frame G is very slight, being approximately only A; inch in practice. During the operation of the machine the frame G. with its supported rolls, will swing continuously back and forth through this small are thereby moving the roll 6 into and out of printing position at regular intervals. Printing upon opposite surfaces of the paper strip will occur only when the frame G is in its lower position with the roll 6 down against the strip.

In order to move the frame G about its pivot at the required intervals a linkage device is shown including a toggle 13-14 extending between the upper and lower frames, a second toggle 1516 extending to operate the first, and a link 17 extending downwardly from the knee of the second toggle to a cam disc 18 which is fixed to the main drive shaft H. A roller 34 on the lower end of the link rests on the top edge of the cam disc and moves up and down in response to the contour of the cam as the disc rotates, thereby operating the toggle 13-14 to bring the printing rolls 1 and 6 into printing position once at each rotation of the drive shaft.

The drive shaft H has a gear 19 fixed thereto continuously meshing with a similar gear 20 fixed to the end of the plate roll 3. The gear 20 is in constant mesh with a gear 21 fixed to the end of the printing roll 1. The gear 21 is in constant mesh with a gear 22 fixed to the end of the printing roll 6. And the gear 22 is in constant mesh with a gear 23 fixed to the end of the plate roll 7. Thus all of the printing rolls and plate rolls are driven at the same speed as the drive shaft and the driving is continuous irrespective of whether the rolls 1 and 6 are in printing position or not. If the printing rolls 1 and 6 are in printing position then the paper ribbon must be travelling between and with them but if said rolls are in non-printing position they are nevertheless rotating and the paper ribbon may be moving and may move to any desired extent, or not at all, according to the space desired lengthwise upon the ribbon between successive impression areas.

A latch as 24 is provided for locking the frame G down in printing position during the printing periods, and this latch moves into and out of latching position continuously during the operation of the machine. It locks the frame G down during the printing period but releases said frame so that the frame can be moved up by the cam 18 in the time between the printing periods. The purpose of this latch is to insure a full and correct printing position of the printing rolls during the printing periods and to positively prevent accidental movement of said printing rolls out of printing position during the printing periods.

The mechanism proposed for operating the latch 24 includes a rotating cam 25 against which bears the end of a rod 26 slidable in a supporting bearing 27. The opposite end of this rod carries a stop pin 28 which engages a downwardly projecting extension 29 of the latch. A coil spring 30 surrounding the rod also engages the extension 29 and yieldingly holds said extension against the pin 28. A tension spring 31 is arranged to always urge the latch toward unlatched position and to press against the spring 30 and to thereby hold the rod against the cam 25, the spring 30 being stronger than spring 31.

The latch will be moved back and forth as the cam 25 rotates, and the spring 30 will constitute a resilient connection between the latch and the cam effective to prevent breakage in case the knob as 32 of the upper frame does not happen to be in the exact position to receive the latch when latch moves to engage over it.

From time to time the operator of the machine will find it desirable to prevent movement of the printing roll 6 to printing position. The means herein suggested to this end includes a disc 33 mounted to slide lengthwise on the drive shaft H toward and away from the cam disc 18. The peripheral surface of the disc 33 is unbroken. It is a perfect circle of substantially the same diameter as the high part of the cam surface of the disc 18. Whenever the disc 33 is slid into close proximity with or against the disc 18 the anti-friction roller as 34, which is carried at the lower end of the link 17, will overlie the periphery of disc 33 and thus prevent any downward movement of link 1'7 regardless of the rotary position of the disc 18, and thus the frame G will be held in its upper position until the disc 33 is moved away from the disc 18 by the operator.

The latch 24 in this event will not be able to move to its locking position about knob 32, and the spring 30 will at this time be called into play permitting movement of rod 26 without corresponding movement of the latch. Nevertheless, the spring 30 will cause instant locking movement of the latch the moment the frame G does come down after the disc 33 has been slid away from the cam 18.

Upon the shaft of the cam 25 is fixed a gear 35 in constant mesh with a gear 36 mounted upon the end of the printing roll 1 so that the cam 25 is made to rotate continuously and in proper time with the printing roll.

The means herein suggested for sliding the disc 33 back and forth along the drive shaft includes two foot pedals as 37 and 38 mounted at a suitable point upon the frame L as at 39 and connected with the disc 33 so that depression of one pedal will slide the disc in one direction and depression of the other will slide the disc in the opposite direction.

The illustration Figs. 5 and 6 suggests that the pedal 3'! may have a bellcrank arm as 40 connected by a link 41 with the lower end of a pivotally mounted yoke lever 42 as at 43, the lever 42 being pivotally mounted upon the frame L as at 44 and having suitable pins at its upper end as at 45 engaging within an annular groove 46 formed upon a hub extension 47 of the disc 33. Depression of pedal 37 will thus slide the disc 33 toward the cam disc 18 beneath roller 34.

The illustration Figs. 5 and 6 suggests that the pedal 38 may have a link 48 pivotally connected by one end therewith as at 49, the opposite end of the link being connected as at 50 to one arm of a bellcrank lever 51 pivotally mounted upon the frame L as at 52, the other arm of the bellcrank being pivotally connected as at 53to one end of a link 54 which extends into pivotal connection with the pivot 43 at the lower 'end of the yoke lever 42. Depression of pedal 38will thus slide the disc 33 in a direction away from the cam 18 and out from beneath roller 34. v

The linkage described between the foot pedals and the yoke lever is incidentally such that depression of either of the foot pedals will at the same time cause the other pedal to be lifted ready for subsequent depression'by the operator, and thus the operator may, if he desires, have his two feet resting easily in supported positions upon the levers respectively. I

It is intended that the actual printing surface on the rolls 1 and 6 may be of any proportion of thecircumference of said rolls, not necessarily the whole circumference, and that the. roll 6 shall move toward the roll 1 for printing upon the ribbon only during the time while the printing portion of said rolls is passing in printing position. Also that said roll 6 shall be moved away from roll 1 during the remainder of the circumference of the printing rolls.

To this end' the present invention proposes means providing for adjustment of the periods during which the printing rolls may be held in printing position with respect to each other, and the drawings herewith suggest for this purpose that the cam disc 18 may be an adjustable cam disc. It may for instance be provided with a separate segmental portion as 55 adjustably mounted thereon adapted to be placed in any selected position with respect to the main portion of the cam, as most clearly indicated in Fig. '7. In

' the different positions of the segment 55 the high peripheral surface part of the completed cam will be of greater or less circumferential length according to the position into which the segment 55 is fixed.

By this means the frame G may be held in its non-printing position for any desired portion of a complete revolution of the drive shaft, as may be required. If the machine is to be used for printing during say, only a one-quarter rotation of the rolls 1 and 6, the segment 55 would be adjusted to hold the frame G in non-printing position for a three-quarter rotation, and to enable said frame G to be in printing position only for the desired one-quarter rotation.

The cam 25 hereinabove referred to for operating the latch 24 may likewise be made adjustable in order to cause operation of the latch in proper timed relation to the movements of the frame G as required by any adjustments made of the segment 55 upon the disc\18.

Any desired means may be employed for taking up the printed strip during the printing operation, or for m ing the strip at uniformly spaced intervals, but the means herein illustrated is pe culiarly practical and eflicient for this purpose.

It consists of a pair of take-up rollers as 56 and 5'7 between which the paper strip passes, said rollers being arranged so that the strip passes first around approximately one-half the circumference of roller 56 and then between the two rollers and around a part of roller 57, thereby providing ample friction of the strip against the roller 56 so that a definite movement of roller 56 will force a corresponding amount of movement of the strip in a direction away from the printing rolls of the take-up roller instantly and positively motionless during the remainder of each rotation of the printing rolls.

This intermittently operating driving means for the take-up roller includes a gear wheel 58 mounted upon frame L and continuously in mesh with the teeth of gear 21 of the printing roll 1. The teeth of gear 58 have continuously meshing engagement with the teeth of a gear 59 and the gear 59 carries therewith a segmental gear 60, the gears 59 and 60 being separably mounted upon the same supporting shaft, as 61, for purposes of adjustment as will be presently referredto. The teeth of the segmental gear 60, in-so-far as they extend circumferentially of said gear, have constant mesh with the teeth of a pinion gear 62, it being noted however that there is no driving connection between the gears 60 and 62 throughout the untoothed portion as 63 of the gear 60, and that throughout this untoothed portion 63 a smooth annular flange portion as 64 of gear 60 rides within a mating peripheral moon shaped opening 65 of a co-operative flange portion 66 formed upon the gear 62 thereby positively looking the gear 62 against any possibility of rotary movement throughout the entire untoothed portion 63 of gear 60.

The flange 64 is so designed and proportioned with respect to the toothed and the untoothed parts of the gear 60 as to ride into the moon opening 65 and begin its locking function in accurately timed relation to the rotary position of the gear 60 and to its tooth and untoothed parts, and to ride out of the moon opening 65 with like precision, so that there is no possibility of any rotary movement, due to momentum or otherwise, of the gear 62, except in precise timed relationship to the rotary position of the printing rolls, see Figs. 1 to 4 and 8.

The pitch diameter of the gears 58 and 59 and 60 corresponds exactly with the diameter of the printing rolls 1 and 6, and the gear 62 has a pitch diameter of such relation to the circumferential extent of the toothed segment of said gear 60 so that said toothed segment will rotate the gear 62 exactly one complete revolution at each complete revolution of the printing roll.

Continuously meshing with the teeth of the gear 62 is a gear 6'7, and continuously meshing with this gear 67 and with a gear 68 on the end of the take-up roller 56 is an intermediate gear 69, whereby the periods of movement and nonmovement of gear 62 are imparted in proper direction to the take-up roller 56.

The gears 67, 69 and 68 also have the same pitch diameter as the diameter of the printing rolls, and, since the diameter of the take-up roller 56 corresponds with the diameter of the printing rolls, the extent of printing lengthwise of the paper strip per unit of rotation of the printing rolls will correspond exactly with the length of paper strip taken up by the take-up rollers.

In order to adjust or alter the amount of takeup performed at each period of rotary movement tal gear 60 ani the pinion gear 62 are made up separate and detachable from the remainder of the mechanism so that they may be readily removed and substituted by corresponding elements of differing proportions at the will of the operator, the various gears 60 and 62 used in this relation being always considered in pairs, that is the selected gear 60 having a toothed segment of a circumferential length to produce exactly one rotation of the selected gear 62.

The circumferential length of the toothed segment on selected gear 60, as well as the circumference of theselected gear 62, and hence the circumferential distance of movement of the takeup roller 56, each time the gear 62 is rotated by the toothed segment of gear 60, will accurately determine the distance of movement of the paper strip at each printing operation, and will correspond to the circumferential length of the printing area on the printing rolls 1 and 6 plus of course the space desired between the printed areas on the paper strip.

The means illustrated herein providing for substitution of pairs of gears 6062 consists in connecting the gear 60 with the gear 59 by means of a stud '70 projecting from one of said gears, as the gear 59, into a socket as '71 in the other gear, as the gear 60, the gear 60 being held against disconnection from the stud by means of a removable holding device, such as the nut 72 shown upon the supporting shaft 61. The gear 62 is removably held upon its supporting shaft '73 by means of a suitable fastening device as the nut 74 illustrated.

By removal of the nuts '12 and '74 the-gears 60 and 62 may be bodily lifted away from their supporting shafts and other gears of the desired proportions inserted in their stead.

Since the pitch diameter of the segmental gear 60 is always the same in all substitutes, only the circumferential length of the toothed portion and of the annular flange portion 64 varying in different substitutes, the pivotal axis being preferably immovable upon the frame L, and since the substitute gears 62 are of varying diameters, the drawings, see particularly Figs. 1, 3 and 4, illustrate the supporting shaft '73 of gear 62 to be adjustably movable toward and away from the supporting shaft 61 of gear 60, as by being mounted in a vertical slot as 75 of the frame L, a clamp nut or the like as 76 serving to hold the shaft 73 in any position of adjustment longitudinally of said slot.

Also the gear 67 is illustrated as being mounted in a pivotally supported auxiliary frame piece as 77, the pivotal element of which is shown as the supporting shaft 78 of the gear 69, so that said gear 67 may swing about shaft 78 in a direction toward and away from the gear 62.

The frame piece 77 is preferably provided with an arcuate slot as '79 within which may engage a holding clamp element 80 for retaining the frame piece in a properly adjusted position with its gear 6'? in appropriate mesh with the gear 62. At the opposite end of the machine, that is the right hand end as seen in Fig. 1, the paper strip 5 may, if desired, move freely to the printing rolls 1 and 6 without the use of any feeding mechanism, but preferably a feeding mechanism is provided designed to insure a certain predetermined amount of tension upon the paper strip at all times, also to feed into the machine a predetermined required length of the strip during the period while the strip is otherwise stationary, thereby insuring uniformity of strain upon the strip at all times while the strip is moving during the printing operations.

This paper strip feeding mechanism as illustrated consists of a feed roller 81 and a cooperative roller 82 between which and the feed roller the paper strip passes from a supply roll 88. To the shaft of the feed roller 81 is fixed a gear 84 the teeth of which stand continuously in mesh with the teeth of a gear 85. The teeth of the gear 85 are arranged to mesh with the teeth of a segmental gear 86 which is detachably mounted upon the carrying shaft as 87 of a gear 88 and held rotatable with said gear 88 as by means of a stud and socket connection as 89 of the same type as described with reference to the gears 59 and 60.

The gears 84, 85 and 86 and 88 are of the same type respectively and relationship to each other as are the gears 67, 62, 60 and 59 hereinabove more fully described and illustrated with reference to the drawings Figs, 3 and 4 and their function is to rotate the feed roll 81 step by step within positively defined limits and to positively lock the feed roller against rotation between its moving periods in the same manner as described with reference to the gears 67, 62, 60 and 59 for controlling the movements of the take-up roll 56.

The gear 86 is provided with an annular segmental flange portion 90, similar to the flange portion 64 of gear 60, adapted for locking engagement within a moon shaped opening as 91 within a co-operative flange portion 92 of the gear 85, similar to the moon opening 65 of the flange portion 66 of gear 62.

The gear 85 is adjustably mounted within a slot 93 of the frame L forthe same purpose as the adjustable mounting of gear 62, and the gears 86 and 88 are adjustably mounted to swing toward or away from the gear 85 to admit of the use of different size gears 85 in the same manner as described with reference to the mounting of gear 67 hereinabove, the two gears 86 and 88 being carried upon an adjustable frame piece 94 which is pivotally mounted upon a carrying shaft as 95 and held in adjusted position with respect to said shaft by means of a suitable clamping device as 96 similar to the clamping device 80 above mentioned.

The teeth of gear 88 mesh continuously with the teeth of a gear 9'7 mounted upon the shaft 95, being fixed to said shaft. Also fixed to this shaft is a gear 98 the teeth of which mesh continuously with a gear 99 on shaft 100, said gear 99 having fixed thereto a sprocket wheel 101 complementary to a sprocket wheel 102 carried on the drive shaft H.

A sprocket chain as 103 provides driving connection between the sprocket wheels 101 and 102.

According to this paper strip feeding mechanism, as thus far described, the constant uniform rotation of the drive shaft will be transmitted as a step by step rotation of the feed roller 81 in substantially the same manner as it is transmitted as a step by step rotation to the take-up roller 56. The continuous rotation of the segmental gear 86 will cause intermittent rotation of the gear 85 and will lock said gear 85 between its period of rotation just as the gear 62 is rotated and locked by the segmental gear 60, and the intermittent rotation of the gear 92 will cause a corresponding intermittent rotation of the feed roller 81.

The circumferential length of movement of the feed roller at each period of rotation will correspond with the circumferential length of the toothed portion of the segmentalgear 86 just as the circumferential length of movement of the take-up roller 58 depends upon the circumferential length of the toothed portion of the segmental gear 60, and the gears 85 and 86 are readily removable for inter-change with substitute gears of differing proportions in the same manner as before so that the length of paper strip fed into the machine by the feed roller 81 may always'be the same as that discharged from the machine by the take-up roller 56.

The paper strip feeding mechanism illustrated consists further of idler rollers 104 and 105 spaced apart in the space between the feed roller 81 and the printing rolls 1 and 6, and a weighted roller 106 is arranged to rest by gravity in the loop as 107 of paper strip between the rollers 104 and 105. Preferably an inclined plate as 108 is arranged to partly support the loop 107 and to assist in supporting and guiding the roller 106,

presses the strip, always with a uniform pressure,

against the plate 108, thereby providing frictional resistance against too easy movement of the strip to the printing roll and effectually overcoming any tendency of the strip to move by its own momentum after the direct pull of the printing rolls and, or, the take-up roller has ceased following each printing operation of the machine.

In operation, the paper strip feeding mechanism may be set so that its feeding and nonfeeding periods will occur in any desired timed relation to the printing and take-up periods. If the feeding and the take-up periods are set to be synchronous the length of the loop 107 of the paper strip would remain constant at all times,

but if the periods are non-synchronous the length of the strip loop will vary with each printing operation, being shortened during the printing period and lengthened during the feeding period.

Preferably the strip feeding mechanism is set so that its feeding periods will occur as nearly as possible during the non-printing periods of the printing mechanism, and at least so that the paper strip will not be being fed at the moment of the beginning of the successive printing periods.

In adjusting the machine, as above described, for printing a certain length pf printing area on the paper strip, it isrequired simply that certain adjustments and substitutions be made so that its several elements will operate-in proper timed relation. Having noted the circumferential printing area on the printing rolls, as compared with the circumferential non-printing area, the cam disc 18 on the drive shaft is set to cause movement of the printing roll 6 into printing relation with the roll 1 and the strip accordingly, and the cam 25 is likewise adjusted to cause operation of latch 24 at the proper timed intervals. A pair of gears 60 and 62 and a pair as and 86, of appropriate proportions, are then connected in position, and the machine is ready to operate. Power is applied in any appropriate manner, as for instance through a clutch or other readily controllable manually operable device, to rotate the drive shaft H, whereupon the strip feeding and take-up-mechanisms begin to operate. The printing mechanism will remain however under the instant control of the operator,

as for instance through the medium of the eccentric mountings of the printing rolls and the use 01' the foot pedals 37 and 38 to determine the printing relationship of the printing rolls.

The machine is entirely positive in all of its actions. The periodic feeding of the paper strip is definite and is in accurate amount at every operation, and the strip feeding and take-up mechanisms remain absolutely motionless against possibility of movement of the strip during the locked intervals, and all of the essential parts of the machine employed in determining the length of the printed area on the strip, as well as the space between said areas, are readily adjustable, or interchangeable, so that a single machine may readily be made to print any desired length of impressions successively on the strip.

The printed areas may be of any length up to the full circumferential length of the cylindrical surface of the printing rolls, and the unprinted space appearing between the printed areas on the strip may likewise be of any desired length within the circumferential length of the cylindrical surface of the printing rolls.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 9 it is intended that the machine there shown diagrammatically shall include all of the elements herein described with reference to the other figures, and in addition thereto an extra set of printing rolls as 109 and 110 and plate rolls 111 and 112, similar to the rolls 1, 6, 3 and '7, with similar driving connections and including a gear 113 driven by the drive shaft H by a connecting drive device 114 so as to impart the driving power of the drive shaft to the plate roll 111 in the same manner as it imparted to the plate roll 3.

The set of rolls l09112 may be inserted in the machine in the space between the idler roller 104 and the printing rolls 1 and 6, and it may be utilized to print upon parts of the paper strip different from the particular parts printed upon by the set 1, 3, 6 and 7 or to print upon the strip ,with a different color of ink, as will be understood, it being understood that set 109112 is of substantially the same construction and manner of operation as the first set, and also that, according to this invention, any number of additional sets may be incorporated into a complete machine by simply adding said sets lengthwise of the paper strip in the same manner as the set 109-111 is suggested for addition by the illustration Fig. 9.

It will be further understood that the printing rolls in all instances may be of any desired form, either containing electros, type, or otherwise, and that the printing ink may be applied thereto by any suitable means, not necessarily by plate rolls as shown and hereinabove described.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

1. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon said take-up means including parts by which it is positively locked against any longitudinal movement of the ribbon during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll;

2. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously; means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon connected to be driven from said printing roll and including parts by which it is positively locked against any longitudinal movement or the ribbon during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll.

3. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to'cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon connected to be driven from said printing roll and including parts by which it is positively locked againstany take-up movement during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll, together with means whereby to alter at will the period of take-up movement of said take-up means with respect to each complete revolution of the printing roll.

4. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for'only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon connected to be driven from said printing roll including a segmental gear having a toothed portion for a part of its circumference and an untoothed portion for another part of its circumference, a second gear having a toothed portion to engage the toothed portion of the segmental gear and having a moon opening to receive the untoothed portion of said segmental gear, whereby said second gear will be rotated during a part of each revolution of said segmental gear and be locked against rotation during another part of each revolution of said segmental gear, thereby to lock the take-up means against any takeup movement during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll.

5. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon connected to be driven, from said printing roll including a segmental gear having a toothed portion for a part of its circumference and an untoothed portion for another part of its circumference, a second gear having a toothed portion to engage the toothed portion of the segmental gear and having a moon opening to receive the untoothed portion or said segmental gear, whereby said second gear will be rotated'during a part of each revolution of said segmental gear and be locked against rotation during another part of each revolution of said segmental gear, thereby to lock the take-up means against any take-up movement during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll, together with means whereby said mentioned segmental gear is readily removable for the substitution of a segmental gear having a different proportion of toothed and untoothed circumference.

6. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part or each complete revolution, andtake-up means for the printed ribbon connected to be driven from said printing roll including a segmental gear having a toothed portion for a part of its circumference and an untoothed portion for another part of its circumference, a second gear having a-toothed portion to engage the toothed portion of the segmental gear and having a moon opening to receive the untoothed portion of said segmental gear, whereby said second gear will be rotated during a part of each revolution of said segmental gear and be locked against rotation during another part of each revolution of said segmental gear, thereby to lock the take-up means against any'takeup movement during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll, together with means whereby said two mentioned gears are readily removable for the substitution of other similar gears of difierent proportions.

7. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon connected to be driven from said printing roll including a segmental gear having a toothed portion for a part of its circumference and an untoothed portion for another part of its circumference, a second gear formed with teeth entirely around its circumference and correspond-- ing in number with the teeth of the toothed portion of the segmental gear whereby the second gear will be made to rotate one complete revolution at each complete revolution of the segmental gear, and said second gear also having a moon opening arranged to receive the untoothed portion of the segmental gear, whereby said second gear will be locked against rotation during a part of each revolution of said segmental gear thereby to lockthe take-up means against any take-up movement during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll.

8. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon said take-up means including parts operable to take up the printed ribbon and other parts efiective to lock the take-up means motionless during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll.

9. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, intermittently operating take-up means for the printed ribbon, and means to lock said take-up means motionless in the intermissions between its take-up periods.

10. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll for printing upon the ribbon, intermittently operating take-up means for the printed ribbon, and means to lock said take-up means motionless in the intermissions between its take-up periods.

11. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, take-up means for the printed ribbon said takeup means including parts by which it is positively locked against any take-up movement during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll, and means whereby to alter at will the period during which the take-up means is locked during each revolution of the printing roll.

12. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll continuously, means to cause said printing roll to print for only a part of each complete revolution, and take-up means for the printed ribbon connected to be driven from said printing roll including a segmental gear having a toothed portion for a part of its circumference and an untoothed portion for another part of its circumference, a second gear having a toothed portion to engage the toothed portion of the segmental gear and having a moon opening to receive the untoothed portion of said segmental gear, whereby said second gear will be rotated during a part of each revolution of said segmental gear and be locked against rotation during another part of each revolution of said segmental gear, thereby to lock the take-up means against any take-up movement during a portion of each revolution of the printing roll, together with means whereby said two mentioned gears are readily removable for the substitution of other similar gears of different proportions and said take-up means including a further gear mounted for bodily adjustment whereby it may be transplaced to cooperate with said substituted gears.

13. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said roll continuously, said roll having printing means thereon for only a portion of the circumferential length thereof, means to move the roll into printing engagement with a ribbon to be printed during the time while the printing portion of said roll is in the rotative position for printing upon said ribbon and for moving the roll out of printing engagement with the ribbon during the time while the printing portion of said roll is in the rotative position out of printing position, take-up means for the ribbon, and means to operate said take-up means intermittently to take-up the ribbon during the printing periods and to hold the ribbon against movement during the non-printing periods.

14. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said roll continuously, said roll having printing means thereon for only a portion of the circumferential length thereof, means to move the roll into printing engagement with a ribbon to be printed during the time while the printing portion of said roll is in the rotative position for printing upon said ribbon and for moving the roll. out of printing engagement with the ribbon during the time while the printing portion of said roll is in the rotative position out of printing position, take-up means for the ribbon, and means to operate the takeup means for taking up the printed ribbon and me thereon for only a portion of .the circifirential length thereof, a second printing ro disposed adjacent the first printing roll, said second roll also having printing means thereon for only a portion of the circumferential length thereof,

said two rolls being disposed for printing upon opposite surfaces of a ribbon to be printed between them, means by which one of said rolls is mounted to move bodily toward and away from the other roll and hence into and out of printing relation to the ribbon, means to move said movable roll into and out of printing position at least once during each complete rotation of said roll, means to lock said movable roll in its printing position, means by which to alter the proportions of each complete rotation during which said movable roll is held in printing position and out of printing, and take-up means for the printed ribbon including means by which it also is alterable to take up diflerent lengths of ribbon to correspond with thealteration of the printing period of said printing'rolls.

16. In a continuous ribbon printing machine,.

means periodically operable to print upon the ribbon, periodically operating take-up means for the printed ribbon, and means to lock said takeup means motionless in the intermissions between its take-up periods.

17. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, means periodically operable to print upon the ribbon, periodically operating feed means for feeding the ribbon to the printing means, periodically operating take-up means for the printed ribbon, means to lock said take-up means against any take-up movement in the intermissions between its take-up periods, and means to lock the feed means against feeding during its non-feeding periods.

18. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, means periodically operable to print upon the ribbon, periodically operating take-up means for the printed ribbon and alternately operating in termittent feed means forthe ribbon.

19. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a printing roll, means to rotate said printing roll for printing upon the ribbon, intermittently operating take-up means for the printed ribbon, intermittently operating means to feed the ribbon to the printing roll, and a slack take-up for the ribbon intermediate the feed means and the printing roll.

20. In a continuous ribbon printing machine, a drive shaft, a printing roll, connections between the drive shaft and the printing roll to rotate said printing roll continuously, a member movable toward and away from the printing roll operable to hold the interposed ribbon in engagement with the printing roll, connections for so moving said member by power from the drive shaft, said connections including a manually op- .erable part for controlling said connections to render them operative or inoperative at will for moving said member, ribbon feeding means for feeding the ribbon to the printing roll, connections from the drive shaft to operate said feeding means intermittently and to lock it against any feeding movement in the intermissions between the feeding periods, ribbon-take-up means for taking-up the printed ribbon, connections from the drive shaft to operate said take-up means intermittently and to lock it against any take-up movement in the intermissions between the take-up periods.

EMIL L. MUELLER. 

